


Job Offers

by Shan (supershan413)



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016), Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:01:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27725174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supershan413/pseuds/Shan
Summary: Jyn stared down at the computer screen, bored and tired. The scandocs were an easy task, and Crimson Dawn paid generously. But after spending years with guerillas and bounty hunters the last few weeks felt slower, somehow smaller, and she was ready to finish the job and move on. If it wasn’t for Qi’ra, they probably would have left days ago, but something about the woman kept pulling at them, and Jyn was a bit smitten, if they were honest with themselves.“Lianna, I’ve got another project for you. If you’re interested?” Qi'ra raised an eyebrow in their direction.Jyn could hear the playfulness in her voice, and something told them their response was irrelevant. “I’m actually looking forward to a vacation.” they smiled.“Trust me, you’re going to love this.” That was part of the deal with Qi’ra. You couldn’t really tell her no, and she knew it.
Relationships: Jyn Erso/Qi'ra
Kudos: 5





	Job Offers

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I've written a story. So, if you comment, please be kind.  
> I had fun with the process, and trying something new during the pandemic!  
> I don't have a proofreader, so there are probably errors.

Qi’ra watches the scurry of a supply run from the balcony railing. It was noisy and chaotic. The busyness reminded her of home, and she found her vision casually following the crew across the decks as they unloaded pallets and joked with each other. She didn’t make a habit of checking on deliveries, the smugglers employed by Crimson Dawn would never risk their revenue by skimming on something so trivial, but Bazine was scheduled to arrive this morning and the intense bounty hunter almost always yielded something interesting.  
Qi’ra caught her eye and Bazine maneuvered across the balcony to stand together surveying the scene.  
“Who’s the new crew member?” Qi’ra nodded towards someone in an outdated flight jacket. A long scarf wrapped tightly around their shoulders hid most of their dark hair and soft features. Qi’ra found it curious given the warmth of the day.  
“Their names Halick... Lily, Leena…something.” Bazine tossed the words over her shoulder while impatiently pointing out instructions to a deck hand. Bazine was known for her ruthlessness, a commanding bounty hunter to work for and Qi’ra could tell she was unimpressed by the new addition. She continued “The kid is in over their head, but they are one hell of a forger. They helped Jaro with a handful of imperial clearances last month.” Bazine refocused her attention on Qi’ra and shook her head.  
“They playing at something?” Qi’ra leaned her forearms on the railing and followed Halick with her gaze. They looked small, and the pieces didn’t quite fit as they quickly carried the heavy pallets across the deck.  
Bazine nodded back. “Yeah, they just don't have the stomach for it. I’m not keeping them on after this run.” Qi’ra caught a hint of darkness in her voice and something nudged her.  
“You mentioned their a forger, I could use some updated scan docs. You think they can handle it? I’ll cut you a finders fee.” Qi’ra hoped her tone didn’t betray too much of her curiosity.  
Banzine laughed gently and shook her head.  
“Hey, Halick” She raised her voice to be heard over the noisy bay “You’ve been reassigned!” She motioned towards Qi’ra in introduction, and lowered her voice “You can’t say I didn’t warn you.”  
Jyn shot a defensive look up to the railing. They nearly hollered back in complaint but stopped short at Qi’ra’s amused gaze. Jyn didn’t know the woman, but recognized her presence, and there was no reason to start a quarrel with a leader of The Dawn. 

\----

Jyn stared down at the computer screen, bored and tired. The scandocs were an easy task, and Crimson Dawn paid generously. But after spending years with guerillas and bounty hunters the last few weeks felt slower, somehow smaller, and she was ready to finish the job and move on. If it wasn’t for Qi’ra, they probably would have left days ago, but something about the woman kept pulling at them, and Jyn was a bit smitten, if they were honest with themselves.  
“Lianna” a quick hand landed on their shoulder in the seemingly empty room. Jyn jumped, and glared back at Qi’ra who smiled and stifled a gentle laugh. Jyn concluded a while ago that Qi’ra found it amusing to sneak up on them. They tried to avoid it, sitting facing the door, even setting a ping on the entrance, but Qi’ra still managed. It felt childish and would be infuriating, if it wasn’t for the quirk in Qi’ra’s smile and the way her laugh settled at the back of her throat.  
“I’ve got another project for you. If you’re interested?”  
Jyn could hear the playfulness in her voice, and something told them their response was irrelevant. “I’m actually looking forward to a vacation.” they smiled.  
“Trust me, you’re going to love this.” That was part of the deal with Qi’ra. You couldn’t really tell her no, and she knew it.  
“Whatever you're playing at, you better make it worth it my while.” Jyn conceded.  
“Of course” Qi’ra’s smile grew as Jyn’s eyes narrowed. “I’ll have supplies sent up, we leave at dark”. 

\-------- 

Jyn did not love any part of this new project. But, faithful to her promise, Qi’ra nearly doubled their savings for coming along on the venture, so Jyn tightened their tie and slipped on the perfectly fitting loafers. How Qi’ra knew their shoe size was beyond their comprehension, and Jyn didn’t want to spend too much time thinking about it. They glanced at their reflection, and shrugged against the black fitted jacket. They looked good.  
They were picking up new imperial codes, and Q’ira insisted it was a fairly routine transaction, but the contact had a reputation for partial deliveries so she wanted to double check the information on site. Jyn’s job was simply to upload the codes, before the contact left. It should be easy, but the elegance and the money in the room made Jyn nervous, they were entirely out of their comfort zone.  
The two strode into the arboretum on Timbor IV. The room was crowded, and much too loud for Jyn’s comfort. Their tie constricted uncomfortably at their neck and the perfectly tailored jacket felt suddenly tight across their shoulders. Arguably, the conditions didn’t appear to phase Qi’ra at all. She walked confidently, picking up a drink and chatting up another patron within seconds of entering the room. Her flowing gown shimmered gold and tall heels complemented her authority, and if it wasn’t for their surroundings, Jyn would have stared.  
The room was beautiful, glass walls let the colors of sunset blend with the lighting, tall trees decorated with microdroids cast a subtle glow, and paths of fresh cut grass charted course to tables filled with art and champagne. The crowd was all money, but not with the gaudy ridiculousness Jyn despised in some systems. These folks took their world seriously, which is what made it an exceptionally tricky place to meet a new and possibly untrustworthy contact.  
“Don’t be so stiff, Lianna. We’re just here having a good time, act like it.” Qi’ra nudged them with her shoulder and smirked. With the heels, Q’ira was easily taller than Jyn, and they couldn’t help but notice the change.  
“You could enjoy this a little less, watching me look out of place” Jyn took a deep breath feeling helpless and tense.  
Qi’ra’s eyebrow raised in appraisal “You don’t look out of place” she paused “but, I do find it entertaining that you feel out of your element.” She flashed a smile, and Jyn felt their whole body warm.  
“Great I’m… entertainment.” Jyn rolled their shoulders against the stiff fabric and tried to push away the blush creeping up their neck.  
“Oh, come on. Let’s go.” Qi’ra laughed and wrapped a hand around Jyn’s elbow. She led them deeper into the party. Slowly circling small tables of items up for auction. Occasionally stopping to comment.  
“Nice place for a vacation?” she asked about an antique hunting blaster and tickets to a game reserve on Dantooine. Jyn noticed the etched details and fine metallic inlay on the blaster, it housed the elegance of her surroundings well.  
“That blaster is gorgeous. But killing should only be done when necessary.”  
"Interesting.” Qi’ra chuckled and jotted a name on the bidding sheet. “I bet that rifle is a perfect shot” 

Before she could say more, a drunk guest at the bar started yelling. He was well dressed and confident, shouting loudly about local politics.  
“That’s our cue.” Qi’ra smiled.  
As patrons' attention turned to the man in the middle of the room, Qi’ra led Jyn to a cocktail table at the back. Her contact waited impatiently, thumbing his hand on the table, and watching the uncomfortable interaction unfolding at the bar.  
“You have it?” Qi’ra wasted no time addressing his discomfort.  
“Hmm” he passed her a small magchip, and said nothing else. Jyn nabbed it from the table and set to work, inserting the chip into their holo and quickly bypassing security protocols.  
“Entomer is quite the actor. Security shouldn’t pay us any mind.” Qi’ra smiled at the man watching him eye the security droids moving towards the bar and further away from their transaction.  
“Are you checking it here?” The contact looked concerned and shifted back from the table.  
“Yep. I just need 40 seconds” Jyn looked over at the bar. The man reached a crescendo by smashing a glass, and security descended on him.  
“That wasn’t the deal. Where’s my money.” He nodded across the room and stepped back from the table. Qi’ra felt it immediately, her instincts had been correct, the contact was either ripping her off, or double crossing her.  
He reached for a sidearm at his hip and she reacted without hesitation. Slamming him in the gut with a heel and sweeping across his head as he fell, the quick movement rendered the nervous man resoundingly unconscious. Q’ira quickly picked up his blaster as a shot buzzed over her shoulder from a man across the room. Security quickly intercepted him and Jyn had barely looked up when Qi’ra grabbed their arm and pulled them into the kitchen.  
Running quickly past the antipasti to a back hall, Jyn followed Qi’ra’s lead.  
“Ditch your jacket. Is that upload complete?” Qi’ra pitched over her shoulder. She touched a small button on her bracelet and the dress reacted, shimmering into a deep purple.  
Jyn fumbled out of the jacket while running. They toss it towards a rubbish cart, missing by a wide margin.  
“Hey!” hollers a waiter, glaring at rumpled fabric on the ground.  
Jyn doubles back, picking up the jacket and smashing it into the bin. The man quickly smiles before Jyn dashes to catch up with Qi’ra.  
“Eightyseven percent, the signal is weaker here. It’s taking longer.” Jyn punched a couple of indicators, while keeping stride. They passed several drunk patrons, staggering back towards the party.  
“Of course it is.” Qi’ra sighed. She turned another corner. Halfway down the hall she stalled and grabbed Jyn by the vest, quickly pressing them against the wall.  
“You ready?” She asked. Jyn looked up, confused, not sure what to be ready for. They found themself staring at Qi’ra’s bicep, she was surprisingly strong and pinning them tightly to the wall. Qi’ra hesitated, and cleared her throat, impatient for a response. Jyn finally realized her intention, their eyes moving over Qi’ra’s lips as a bright flush rose up their neck. Qi’ra couldn’t help her smug smile, and leaned in crushing their mouths together moments before security entered the far side of the hallway. Jyn slid their hand around Qi’ra’s back pulling her closer and opening their mouth to deepen the kiss. They both heard the officers rush past, no hesitation in their steps, not paying them a second glance. They kissed for longer than necessary, until Jyn ran out of breath and dropped her forehead onto Qi’ra’s shoulder.  
“I can’t believe that worked.” Qi’ra’s smile quirked. “I’ve been wanting to kiss you for ages.” she nodded to the Holo, “Are we good?”  
Jyn however, was still piecing together their reactions… “Uh, yeah. We’re good. That was very good.” They shook their head trying to refocus.  
“The upload, is it done?” Qi’ra clarified, trying to stifle a laugh.  
Jyn made the connection and glanced down at the program, finalizing the upload. “Yep. Good... All good.”  
Qi’ra couldn’t contain the laughter any longer and broke into a wide grin, grinding a hip into Jyn’s waist. The friction serves its purpose as lightning shoots through Jyn’s body “Can you run kiddo? You can’t float out of here.”  
Jyn firmly pushed Qi’ra off of them as a blush rushed up to their cheeks. It was starting to feel like they were going to blush forever, and Jyn hated it. “We are practically the same age. Let's go.”  
“Wait a second,” Qi’ra said quickly and pulled a small blaster from her dress. She pushed it into Jyn’s hand. “In case it’s necessary.”  
Jyn huffed a sigh and started down the corridor. 

The shuttlebay was surprisingly devoid of guards as Jyn snuck a glance from the upper level. It appeared as though their contact was hoping to go unnoticed, which was now playing to Qi’ra’s advantage. There were two uniforms near the far door over a dice game, and one in the middle of the room leaning over a holo. Jyn motioned to a pyramid of crates near their ship. They easily dropped from the balcony, onto the tallest crate and started snaking down the pile. They barely heard Qi’ra land above them. Halfway down the stack Jyn noticed an arm falling off the side of a crate.  
Their eyes shot towards Qi’ra, a finger to their lips. A guard was dozing hidden in the gear, he slowly stirred as they neared him. Jyn had nowhere to go as the guard woke up. They noticed how young he was, the rifle he carried almost as long as his body. Qi’ra motioned to the gun and Jyn looked down at the blaster in their hand. Shoot a kid in the back, as he wakes up from a nap… Jyn hesitated for too long and a rifle shot tore through their gut from the balcony. They collapsed toppling crates around them until they hit the cold concrete floor below.  
Qi’ra reacted instantly. She shot the young guard as he called out and jumped quickly down the wobbling crates to Jyn’s side. She can see the slightest rise in their chest from a breath, the blaster wound was high on their gut, but the piles of toppled gear pinned Jyn to the ground. She knew there was no way to get her in time. Instinct takes over and she dart’s around the crates leaving Jyn in a pile on the floor.  
The two guards from the dice game ran quickly towards the sounds, and the man on the balcony moved to adjust his position, but it didn’t matter. Qi’ra was fast and the third guard was alone. As he came towards Jyn’s body Qi’ra swung at his neck with the butt of her blaster, instantly dropping him to the ground. With nobody else on the far side of the shuttle bay, a quick sprint lands her in the cockpit of a small merchant ship. She doesn’t look back as she hits the ignition and screams out of the hanger leaving the unconscious Jyn behind. 

Jyn regains consciousness in the galley of a small ship. They are on a table and in more pain than they ever thought possible. A tall droid is pressing something into their abdomen and it feels like fire.  
“Don’t move.” The droid is clearly not programmed for medical interventions, it lunges across Jyns chest to stop them from getting up. Jyn panics and lashes out with their legs, trying to kick the droid away.  
“You’ll tear the bacta. This is all we’ve got” The droid tries again, shifting to press an arm across Jyn’s thigh. Jyn slowly gets the message, the droid is helping, the fire on Jyn's side gains traction, and they cry out as the bacta starts peeling through the layers of their wound.  
“They awake?” A voice calls out from the cockpit. Jyn recognizes the tone, but they can’t place it. The bacta is running its course, and it won’t be enough. Jyn tries to relax but feels trapped under the droid's uncomfortable grip.  
“Technically. They are awake” The droid responds sarcastically as Jyn tries to squirm out of it’s grasp.  
“Let go of me.” Jyn scowls. The droid looks up at the pilot who shakes his head.  
“Sorry.” The droid quickly responds, and metal arms awkwardly reposition to hold them in place.  
A man jumps from the cockpit above, and heads straight for Jyn. Unlike the droid he moves gracefully, with a calculated balance. As he nears the table he elegantly slides off his tuxedo jacket and sits in the chair closest to Jyn’s head. He leans forward and places his elbows on his knees, he’s close enough that Jyn can smell the sandalwood in his cologne.  
“Where am I?” Jyn glares, gasping through a burst of pain and willing themself to remain conscious.  
“We don’t have the supplies to help with that wound.” The man ignores their question and calmly reaches over bundling his jacket behind their head. “I’ll drop you on Falleen. But,” He pauses, affectionately brushing sweaty strands of hair back from Jyns forehead “I do need your help first.”  
“Who are you” Jyn tries a second time. The jacket pillow actually feels nice, and their heavy head falls back onto the soft fabric.  
He smiles, and continues as though they had said nothing.  
“Where is the magchip you were decoding?” He looks at Jyn knowingly and they recognize him as the waiter from the hallway earlier that evening. “The one with the updated imperial codes.”  
“Fuck off.” Jyn glares through gritted teeth.  
“You don’t look so good, it would be a shame if we didn’t make it to Falleen in time.” He was serious, and Jyn could see his determination, but they could also sense that he didn’t want them to die. “Now, did you complete the upload?”  
“The codes are useless. It was a double cross.” They coughed, sputtering blood and trying to subtly protect the holo in their pocket. The droid is still pinning their chest and the man is paying attention. He reaches across to Jyns shirt pocket and comes out with a bloody, but intact computer.  
“The codes were never the mission.” He smiles and stands up tapping the mag chip out of the holo before crushing the computer into the floor.  
Jyn’s reaches for the chip, but as soon as they stretch the bacta tears and all they can comprehend is the blood quickly surging from their side. 

\-------------- 

The next time Jyn wakes, they are in a medbay. Although it looks more like a veterinarian's office. It’s shabby and incredibly humid, the bleak lighting casting shadows across the small room. The wound on their side has been wrapped, and something pale drips into an IV at the back of their hand. A dull pain radiates in waves through their side. It takes a few moments to register a dinged up medical droid alongside the bed, it scans Jyn’s wound and a reading from the med console before scurrying away. Jyn sits up and gently flexes their abdomen, it feels okay, painful, but okay.  
A doctor appears at the corner of a tattered cloth divider.  
“Lay down, you’re livers got a hole in it.” She says matter of factly. She wasn’t human, tall with green tinged skin and reptilian features. “We don’t get many humans in this area. It took me a while to patch it up.” Jyn looked around the room, the humidity and lights made more sense now. “We did have some painkillers that worked on you, but You’ll have to heal the old fashioned way, Imperials took the last of our bacta, ‘for the good of the empire’ a while back.”  
Jyn shakes their head and stands up. “Has anyone come looking for me?” They ask hopefully, wishing Qi’ra hadn’t left them, and confused by the stranger who dropped them off.  
“I said, Lay Down.” The doctor stepped forward and towered above Jyn. “We don’t make a habit of announcing our patients and you haven’t had any visitors.” The doctor held their shoulder, the large claw gently pushed against their clavicle until they couldn’t maintain balance. Jyn felt a sense of peace as they slowly dropped back into the bed. The doctor released them easily. “Get antibiotics to stem any infection and rest, it will take time for your body to repair the damage.” 

—————

Jyn finds themself in the back of the cantina, not quite a shadowy corner, but away from the bustle of smugglers, locals and outcasts that frequented Maz’s fine establishment. It had been several weeks since they discharged themselves from the clinic on Falleen. After jumping a few systems, Jyn took a couple small jobs falsifying cargo records for a smuggler heading into Takodana. It had been slow going, their shoulders were heavy and their head spun. Doing anything felt like trying to accomplish everything, and they couldn’t focus. Weighing the urge to order a drink, Jyn takes a deep breath. The wound at their side looked worse lately, bruising giving way to red streaks across their abdomen, each painful shift echoed a gentle reminder of the doctor's words about getting an antibiotic. 

Over the weeks, confusion about the events on Timor had turned to anger, as Jyn thought about all the possible outcomes. They didn’t know where to go, or what to do, while their body was slowly recovering. Now their brain buzzed with a mix of emotions that crushed them into the floorboards. They rolled their shoulders and caved, looking up to wave a hand at Maz.

Across the room Qi’ra strides quietly toward the counter. At first Jyn thinks it is their imagination, and when they actually feel her presence the anger becomes palpable. Fucking Qi’ra. To make matters complicated, Jyn can’t help the hitch in her breath as they watch her lean over the bar and grab a beer from under the counter. Her dress held the curves along her chest and moved with her body. Watching her instantly made Jyn blush.  
Qi’ra flashed a small smile to Maz, who waved a hand to acknowledge the transaction before looked back towards Jyn, who appeared mostly dead on the barstool.  
“What’s she doing here?” They questioned sharply.  
“Dear Child, Ask yourself that question. You look to be passing out on my bar.”  
“I just want a beer Maz. Just one, then I’ll go.” They sounded pitiful, even to themself.  
Maz pitched her head, and sighed.“I’m not your mother, young one” She reached under the bar and clanked a bottle loudly on the counter. “You make your own choices.”  
Anger stirred in Jyn. Nothing felt like a choice. They felt like they were falling and nothing could stop it. Everything hurt.  
“Did you even go to a doctor?” A gentle voice cut through their descent. Qi’ra was standing directly behind them. As Jyn swung around on the stool, they found the question paired with a firm glare.  
“Yeah, a lizard patched me up.” Jyn snarked anyway. They took a long swig from the bottle. Long enough to catch Maz and Qi’ra share a glance. So that’s how this happened. Maz may have claimed otherwise, but occasionally she acted like a mother.  
“Come on, let’s get you out of here.” It was a statement, an order to be followed, and just in case Jyn decided to protest, a quick hand at their elbow sharply pulled them from the barstool, rocking the bottle on the counter. Pain shot through Jyn’s gut, but they allowed themself to be led outside.

Qi’ra recognized the despair facing Jyn. She knew that in this moment there was nothing she could do to help them, and that right now Jyn couldn’t see a way through it themself. That kind of anger was dangerous, and Qi’ra had a soft spot for it.  
She took a deep breath as she guided Jyn out of the bar, preparing for the venom that would follow. Pushing them into the sunlight and watching their eyes squint, she could clearly see the tears being corralled and their face setting to stone.  
“What the fuck do you want?” Jyn spat. Their eyes looked frantic, but their body betrayed weariness, they looked worse than Qi’ra expected. “You fucking left me bleeding in a cargo bay. You didn’t even try to help. You...” The words ran out as Jyn struggled to reign in their feelings.  
Qi’ra slowed and drew in another breath. As the flush began to fade from Jyn’s neck she stepped into their space, placing a hand around their back.  
“I thought we could go for a stroll.”  
“I don’t want to stroll '' Jyn fired back feeling childish, but possibly in testament to their injury, they didn’t shake away the contact, and once again followed as Qi’ra pulled them towards the forest.  
“Well, that’s really too bad isn’t it.” Qi’ra huffed, feeling the catch of a small blaster on Jyn’s back.  
Qi’ra used to believe she would never control people using the power Crimson Dawn gave her, but over time she became more accustomed to wielding it, and now it was second nature. In this case, she wasn’t even hurting anyone. She knew Jyn might put up a cursory argument, but in the end, they would do as they were told. 

They moved through the forest slowly, Jyn deliberately silent and Qi’ra one step back. They both acknowledged the actions were intentionally designed to irritate the other.  
“So, Erso” Jyn notes the strong influx of their name in Qi’ra’s tone. Jyn knew they had never given her their real name, hearing it now stung, like pouring alcohol on a wound. “I thought you were looking forward to a vacation, but Maz tells me you are content to drink yourself to death hoping for someone to kill you in a bar fight.” Qi’ra watches the tension bundle in Jyn’s shoulders but they don't respond.  
If Jyn had their wits about them, they would have recognized the predicament sooner. Far too late they consider that walking into a jungle with the leader of Crimson Dawn and a fuck-all injury is not going to end well. They turn to face Qi’ra, waiting for her next move.  
Qi’ra glanced at the wound on their side “We both know you’ll not be running off, so here’s the thing… “You need out of this system and I need a hand with a minor predicament. It’s pretty simple”  
“Who says I need out of this system? And, You got some nerve, offering me a job at this point.” Qi’ra saw the anger, fuse with pain, and knew Jyn was past listening to reason. “I’m sorry kiddo… I wish it was an offer, but I’m on a timetable.” At that moment a small skiff speeds to a stop nearby and Jyn sees a blaster in Qi’ra’s hand. She delicately shrugs and motions towards the craft.  
Being outwitted so easily makes Jyn’s blood boil. They make a short play for the blaster at their back, only to find an empty holster and recognise it as the one in Qi’ra’s hand. Damn. They really are tired.  
“Fuck you.” Jyn snarls, admitting the futility of the situation. They draw out their hands in surrender and start toward the craft.  
“Someday, hopefully” Qi’ra winked, she felt for Jyn, but right now, was trying to keep them both from getting killed. 

Jyn steps backward into the skiff, and out of habit more than organized thought, they throw an elbow into Qi’ra as the doors slowly start to draw close. They don’t even know what they are running from, but they are halted quickly. Qi’ra’s loud exhale sounds like a laugh. She quickly recovers from the rogue elbow and unconventionally slams Jyn against the wall by their shoulder. Moving in quickly she presses her forearm to Jyn’s throat, and uses the other hand to hold their wrists against their chest. Pinning them to the cold durasteel. Jyn’s legs feel rubbery, and they are seeing stars.  
“Seriously. You're in no shape for this.” The pity in Qi’ra’s voice was infuriating.  
“This isn’t help, You are kidnapping me.” Against the wall, with balance faltering, Jyn couldn’t hold in the anger any more. They fought against Qi’ra’s grip, but gained little traction.  
“Fine, we do it your way.” For the first time Jyn hears frustration in her voice. Qi’ra frowns at the wound on Jyn’s side and quickly jabs into the soft tissue under her ribs. Jyn crumbles to the ground, screaming intensely as searing pain tears through their gut. Standing over them, Qi’ra looks hurt, almost defeated, as Jyn holds their side and gasps in breaths, unable to form words.  
“That wound looks septic.” She glances over her shoulder for a quick nod to a sentry.  
“You’ll get through this, even fighting against yourself. I’ll not have your death on my conscience.” With that, rough hands pulled Jyn off the floor and carried them deeper into the skiff.  
\-----------------

“Is this really necessary?” Jyn jangled the bindings keeping her attached to the medcot. The medical droid on the small ship had been top of the line, and Jyn already felt the infection at their side diminishing. It was amazing what a difference money made in healthcare.  
“You tell me, I wasn’t the one throwing elbows” Qi’ra raised an eyebrow smiling, trying to gauge Jyn’s response. Jyn did their best to stifle a reaction. A drawn breath and a brief clench in their fist. Qi’ra noticed it but chose to press on, invading Jyn’s personal space, glancing at the readouts detailing their recovery. She pulled a small holo from her pocket, and held it out. It was the same model they had lost on Timor weeks earlier. Qi’ra sat on the edge of the bed leaning against Jyn’s leg, they tried hard to ignore the warmth through the thin sheet.  
“The minor predicament I mentioned before. We need 18 minutes to get our magchip back.” Qi’ra’s hand dropped onto Jyn’s thigh over the sheet, and Jyn willed their heart rate to stay steady.  
Jyn awkwardly swiped through the holo with their bound hand. It was slow and frustrating. Scans of a docking facility, shifting ciphers, and magnetic field generators. It was an easy job. After a few moments of scanning the specs, Jyn found the real problem.  
“The field resets every 15 minutes, you won’t get 18.”  
“I need 18 minutes, and that’s why I need your help.”  
Flicking the holo towards the end of the bed with their wrist, Jyn stretches their shoulders to the limits of the binders. “Take these damn things off.”  
“You’ll remain calm?” Qi’ra saw a flash of rage and Jyn cut her off.  
“When have I not remained calm?” Their jaw tightened and their eyes darkened. Jyn jerked on the binding, cutting into her arm. Qi’ra noticed the blood and casually leaned up the small cot to tap a few keys on the med console.  
“You know I can break this right? You can’t keep me locked to this stupid fucking bed.” Jyn lost their temper and pulled at the restraints, but it was too late. The intravenous line flowed with a new cocktail and as Jyn pulled, their arms got heavier, their brain foggy, soon they drifted into unconsciousness. Qi’ra leaned in gently and cradled Jyn’s neck, slowly guiding them back against the cot as the medications took over.  
“Hmm, sorry kiddo, It’s okay that you’re angry, but we’ll need to deal with it once you’re feeling better.”  
Qi’ra looked over at the guard, and motioned to his keys. She knew she was acting a coward, but she needed Jyn’s help, and cared too much for them to let the anger and confusion get in the way. She unlocked the bindings on their wrists and passed a quick swipe of bacta over the sliced and bruising skin. 

\------------

Jyn shot to consciousness in a small berth. Sweating and groggy, they glanced around the small room. The space wasn’t quite anonymous, a table was next to the bunk and a chair near the door. There was a bottle of water, a fresh fruit and two small pills sitting at the edge of the table. As nausea rolls over them, Jyn reaches towards the water. They immediately felt the distinct lack of cuffs on their wrist and took a deep breath. Somehow they feel more trapped by the lack of bindings and try to dismiss the sense of panic. From their spot on the bed, they could see the entire room, their clothes hung over the back of the chair, and a ray of light shone from a thin window over the bed. They recognized a long elegant blaster rifle in the corner.  
Jyn took a drink of the water and sat up. The scratchy medical gown felt terrible, and Jyn eyed their clothes, hoping to be done with drugs and droids.  
As Jyn changed clothes they checked their side and found the wound almost nonexistent. Some redness and fresh tissue, but the streaks of crimson, the dark burgandy crater were gone.  
With nothing else to do, They glanced at the fruit and pills. The small while orbs looked like antibiotics, but they couldn't be sure. They definitely didn’t want anything to make them fall back asleep. They pocketed both the pills and bit into the fruit, it was ripe and crisp, it tasted incredible. The room is incredibly silent, and between the fruit and the light streaming in the small window Jyn concluded they had landed somewhere.  
They picked up the rifle and felt along the detailed filigree. It was cool and smooth under their touch. Without the pain in their side or the bindings cutting into their arm, the anger didn’t demand so much attention, the blaster brought on a sharp pang of sadness.  
It wasn’t too long before Jyn heard noises on the other side of the door. A brief muffled conversation, and the door slid open. Qi’ra entered.  
“Michael says you didn’t even try the door” She smiled with a hint of amusement.  
“It was locked.” Jyn quipped dryly, pointing the blaster at her on principle.  
“It’s not loaded. Feeling any better?” Qi’ra waited near the door, gauging their reaction.  
“Yeah, I could still hit you with it. Besides, no binders, no IV, you can’t just knock me out now.” Jyn relaxed the rifle and glared a Qi’ra.  
“We both know I‘ll win. You should keep the rifle though. It suits you.” Qi’ra smiled authoritatively. Jyn’s face briefly contorted with hurt, before it was quickly replaced by a forced indifference.  
“I don’t want it.” She tosses the rifle carelessly onto the bed. “I can’t get your 18 minutes. That reset is hardwired” Jyn’s voice holds an edge of frustration but before they can go on, Qi’ra interrupts.  
“That’s for later, right now you and I need to talk.” Qi’ra’s eyes softened and she tilted her chin expectantly.  
Jyn knows what Qi’ra is asking but can’t help feeling like it’s a little unreasonable. However, they also hate being unconscious, being tracked down by criminal syndicates, and being at odds with beautiful women. So it is clearly a lose-lose situation and they have nowhere to go. They sigh heavily before words start tumbling out of their mouth.  
“You just fucking left me there. One minute, you kiss me and the next, I’m on some shuttle with a droid crushing me... A hole in my stomach.” Jyn’s jaw was tight, and the words rehearsed but still choppy and disassembled “The entire time I sat in that… that shitty velociraptor medbay, you never even sent someone...” Jyn’s eyes narrowed and Qi’ra watched the hurt turn to malice. “Maz put you up to it once I got to Takodana... right? That’s when you started to feel guilty...now you show up with another random job...” Jyn looked disdainfully over Qi’ra’s head.  
Qi’ra raised her hand and Jyn quieted.  
“I regretted leaving you from the moment I made that choice. I spent weeks searching medbays throughout the system.” Jyn looked unconvinced, eyes fixed on the silver flashing of the door controls. Qi’ra could see the water pooling in their eyes.  
“It took me a while to track down someone who knew your real name, and even longer to convince Maz I wasn’t a threat.” Qi’ra continued “She was worried for you at the end, and that is the only reason she told me about you.” Qi’ra reached out with her palm and cupped Jyn’s face, kindly drawing it around so she could look in their eyes.  
“That doesn’t explain any of this.” Jyn shook her head pulling away from Qi’ra’s hand.  
“I am sorry about this, whatever it is, kidnapping. You are so angry, I didn’t have time to try and reassure you there.” Qi’ra drew in a breath. “But I do now, so please stay, job or not. I like you Jyn, even when you're angry with me.” Qi’ra tried to make eye contact with Jyn, but they didn’t respond. She could see the assessment happening behind their eyes and decided to leave it. “The doors unlocked this time. Feel free to move about the ship, we’ll be taking off soon, docking at Yavin in three days. That’s when I could use your help.” Jyn didn’t move as Qi’ra stood to leave. “Oh, and take the antibiotics in your pocket,” Qi’ra pointed to Jyn’s side. “That may look better, but it’ll take a bit more time for the infection to clear your system.” 

\-------------------

Running had always helped Jyn process their emotions. Sometimes it was a conscious process, and sometimes it just felt honest to be completely exhausted. The problem with thinking while running is that the thoughts were fast and betrayed themselves. Was Jyn angry? They liked Qi’ra, and it seemed counterproductive to hold resentment. As their cadence continued they began to recognise the tiny speck of hidden fear in their anger, and push it away.  
At fifty minutes movement behind Jyn makes them jump, wrecking their stride and nearly causing them to fall.  
“Why does that not surprise me.” Jyn glares back at Qi’ra leaning on the door.  
“I tried to make enough noise, but you were thinking” She smiled knowingly.  
Jyn pretends not to notice as Qi’ra’s glance shifts from the treadmill to their body. It feels oddly nice to be objectified. “I’ve got another 3k, then it’s all yours” They make up the lie on the spot, regretting it instantly. Their legs are burning and sweat has sealed the shirt across their back. It was clear they had been running for some time.  
“Hmm...” Qi’ra slowly pried her eyes away from the shirt. It had been two days since she had spoken with Jyn, and she was growing impatient. Exercise had a way of bringing out the competitor in everyone, and she decided to push a little. She drew a chair from the side of the room to the treadmill and watched them move. Their stride muddled again under the scrutiny. Qi’ra loved the way their shoulders tensed first whenever they were put on the spot.  
“What are you doing?” Jyn tersely fired. They had been carefully avoiding Qi’ra. Trying to wrap their head around the emotions was exhausting, and they didn’t want to deal with it. However, they couldn’t quite run away.  
“I just thought I’d watch. You’ve been avoiding me, and it’s nice to see you.” Qi’ra quirked her head and raised an eyebrow. Jyn stumbled again on the edge of the treadmill. Fatigue was setting in, and they could feel their form breaking down. Qi’ra tried to suppress a smile as Jyn flushed red with embarrassment.  
“I’ve been avoiding you because I don’t want to see you.” Jyn bit out through a clenched jaw.  
“That’s a lie and you know it.” Qi’ra quickly shot back as she relaxed into the cheap plastic chair. It irritated Jyn how Qi’ra could see through them. “You’ve been avoiding me because you don’t want to deal with all the feelings.” She taunted.  
Jyn pulled the stop on the treadmill, unwilling to stumble again. They took a deep breath.  
“You know you're right, stop gloating” They stepped off the platform and landed right in front of Qi’ra. A bright thought overtakes Jyn and they lean over her, placing their hands on the armrests of Qi’ra’s flimsy chair pushing it quickly back onto its rear legs. Qi’ra fought against the instinct to pushforward and breathed through the sense of panic, genuinely surprised.  
Jyn said nothing, just dipped their head to reach Qi’ra lips. All her disorientation washed away as Qi’ra tasted the sweat from Jyn’s skin. She tried to lean forward, to demand solid ground, but the angle of the chair made it impossible to move and Qi’ra gave in, grasping Jyn’s waist and drawing on their stability for balance.  
Jyn pulled back from the kiss slowly, breathing deeply and relishing in Qi’ra’s surprise.  
“You can be a jerk sometimes.”  
“I really didn’t think you had it in you.” Qi’ra smirked tapping lightly against their hip bone.  
“I will drop you.” Jyn rolled their shoulders causing the chair to wobble. They slowly released the chair back to the floor and stood up, Jyn looked past Qi’ra, at the door. “I’m angry at you. I like you. I'm figuring out how to deal with it.”  
“I know” Qi’ra laughed while firming her grip on Jyn’s waist. She thought they might make a dash for door if she let go, and she wasn’t about to allow that. Instead, she stood up and leaned toward them a second time. Jyn relaxed into this kiss, letting themself be pulled along for the ride.


End file.
